Draft-rigging



G. E. THACKRAY.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION man 158.1, 1921.

Patented 001;. 18, F1921.

lll/ll lll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

DRAFT- RIGGING.

Original application led March 10, 1920,.Seria1 No. 364,618. Divided and this application led February 1, 1921.

exact description of the invention, such asv will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in draft rigging for mine or other cars with the object of simplifying and strengthening the construction thereof, and this application constitutes a division of my application for Letters Patent on improvements in draft rigging, led March 10, 1920, Serial No. 364,618. 4

In certain prior draft rigging devices the draw bar yoke has at the rear end a reduced section and it is therefore liable tov breakage from the constant effect of bufling or pulling. This breakage not only ties up equipment and causes delay, but is a frequent source of damage and causes runaway cars,

collisions, derailments, etc., with consequent injury or destruction to men and materials. It is also more expensive to produce a yoke of the type mentioned with reduced rear portions, and economy and greater strength may be obtained by using a draw-bar yoke of constant section, thereby reducing the tendency to break and eliminating the evil effects resultant therefrom.

I also provide an inner member oflv constant section, secured or riveted to the outer draw-bar ybke, and thereby produce a more rigid design and one better adapted to withstand the shocks and wear to which the parts are subjected from the constant buiiing and pulling effects when in use.

My invention is particularly adapted to mine or other cars made of metal and is so fashioned that a part of the car floor serves v as a center sill, the latter providing a suitable receptacle forV the draft rigging.

Having thus ,given a general description of my invention, I will now, in order to make the matter more clear, refer to the annexed sheet of drawings', which forms part of this specification, and in which like characters refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the line I-I of Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Serial N o. 441,673.

F' g. 2, showing my improved draft ri in and enough of the car to illustrate the gplig: cation of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the draft rigging and a portion of the car body to which it is secured; Fig. 3 1s a'vertical longitudinal sectional elevation slmilar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modied form of my improved draft rigging; Fig. 4 1s a vertical transverse section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the follower plates; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the characters of reference on the drawings 1 is a part of the car body having the trough-shaped central portion 2, over which is fastened at each end of the car the trough-shaped reinforcing plate 3. The end sheet 4 of the car has mounted on it the bumper plate 5. rIhe cheek plate 6 over the draw-bar `and thel integral part thereof and is riveted to both the draw-bar yoke 12 and the member 13. 15 shows a type of corrugated spring plates adapted for use with this draft rigging, or if preferred, helical springs 19 may be used as shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification in which the design is strengthened by the addition of the supporting plate 16, which has riveted thereto the bottom cheek plate 17 provided with holes 18 in which the ends of the follower blocks 10 and l1 fit and slide.

The cheek plates themselves are provided with the slots 7 and 18 therein, and the end portions of the same are securely riveted by a number of rivets to the car or supporting member and the central portion between the slots is also riveted so 'as to"I provide very substantial stops for the follower plates and have a large number of rivets which are of greater strength than any buiiing or pulling stresses to which the stops will be subjected, so that the construction isv very substantial. The check plates are also of considerable thickness to provide ample bearing and contact surfaces. The draft gear support plate stant section throughout, the full working` strength of the metal is available in every part of the draw-bar and particularly so at the inner end where the shocks are absorbed through the springs and thence conveyed to the car.

Although l have described and illustrated my invention in considerable detail, l do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details thereof as shown and described, but may use such modifications in, substitutions for, or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention, or as pointed out in theelaims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :n

l. ln a draft rigging, an upper cheek plate secured to and within a longitudinal central trough-shaped portion of the car body, a trough-shaped supporting plate removably attached to the car body which, with the central. trough, forms a draft rige ging space, a lower cheek plate secured to and within said supporting plate, each cheek plate being provided with a pair of substantially rectangular slots, a yoke of U-form, substantially constant in cross section mounted between said plates and adapted to be guided and supported thereby, a closure between the forward portions of said yoke, a pair of follower plates mounted within and between the end of said yoke and said closure, said follower plates each having an extension narrower than the body portion of the same projecting within the slots aforesaid, and a s ring mounted between the said follower pates.

2. lin a draft rigging, a U-shaped yoke with a closure between the longitudinal porn tions thereof, therebyproviding an approximately rectangular opening therein, a pair of follower' plates mounted within said yoke, with one near each end of said opening, said follower plates each having upper and lower integral extensions of narrower width than the body portion thereof, an upper cheek plate secured to and within a central longitudinal trough-shaped portion of thecar body, a trough-shaped supporting plate removably attached to the car body, which, with the central trough, forms a draft rigging space, a lower cheek plate secured to and within said supporting plate, ada ted to support and guide said yoke, each c eek plate being provided with a pair of slots of risanare slightly greater widthv than the extensions of the follower plates and into which said extensions project, and a spring' mounted be,- tween said follower plates.

3, ln a'draft rigging, a draw-bar yoke of substantially contant section provided with a closur between the extending legs thereof forming `an approximately rectangular opening, a follower plate mounted within and near each end of said opening, each follower plate having an extension of less width projecting from the opposite ends thereof, an upper cheek plate secured to and within a longitudinal central trough-shaped portion of the car body, a trough-shaped supporting plate removably attached to the car body, which, with the central trough, forms a draft rigging space, a lower cheek plate secured to and within said supporting plate, each cheek plate being provided with a pair of slots into which said extensions project, and a spring between said follower plates.

4;. ln a draftJigging, `a yoke of approximatelyr Ushape and substantially constant section having a closure between the extending portions thereof adapted to form a substantially rectangular opening, an upper cheek plate secured to and within a longitul dinal central trough-shaped portion of the car body, a 'trough-shaped supportingplate removably' attached to the ,car body, which, with the central trough, forms a draft .rigging space, the boundaries of which are adapted to contact with, support and guide the draw-bar yoke, a lower cheek=plate secured to and within said supporting plate,

each of said cheek plates being provided with a pair of rectangular slots therein, follower plates mounted within and near the ends of the ,rectangular opening of said yoke, each providedv with a pair of opposite integral portions of less w-idth extending outwardly from said yoke and fitting within the slots of the cheek plates aforesaid.

5. ln a draft rigging, -a draw-bar chamber formed byv an upwardly extending trough in the car bottom and a trough-shaped supporting plate secured below the same, top and bottoni-cheek plates mounted and secured therein, each provided with a pair of substantially rectangular slots, a yoke of U- shape provided with a closure, slidably mounted between said cheek plates and adapted to be supported and guided thereby, a forward and. after follower plate with reduced/'end portions mounted within and adjacent the closure and the end of said yoke, respectively, the reduced ends of which follower plates project beyond said yoke and into the slots of the cheek plates aforesaid, and a spring between said follower plates.

' In witness whereof l hereunto affix my sig- 

